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2018 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation

The Minister of Science and Technology, Minister M T Kubayi-Ngubane, has released a draft of the 2018 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation for public consultation.
We encourage SAIMM members to provide input directly to the Department of Science and Technology for consideration.

This document and contact details are available on the following websites:
www.dst.gov.za
www.gcis.gov.za

Direct link: https://www.dst.gov.za/index.php/legal-statutory/white-papers/2623-draft-white-paper-on-science-technology-and-innovation

Article by Bruce Fordyce which commends SAIMM Honorary Life Fellow Peter Knottenbelt on His Courage and Recovery After the Crocodile Attack

Peter Knottenbelt2Until the beginning of this year, Peter Knottenbelt was an ordinary Ebotse parkrunner with 14 parkrun finishes to his name. (Well not so ordinary; running in the VM 70-74 age category Peter had a recent PB of 26;33 and a 67% age grading, run at altitude on the tough Ebotse course).

All this changed while Peter was on holiday in the lowveld near Hoedspruit at a lodge on the Olifants River. Peter and friends and family were having fun in the river and decided to wade across to the far bank. They had been assured that there “are no crocodiles in the river and none have ever been seen in this stretch of the Olifants” At the far side of the river Peter trod on the bony head of a 3 metre long Nile crocodile which promptly seized him by the leg and tried to drag Peter off to drown in deeper water. There followed a harrowing battle in which Peter was severely wounded and tried desperately to thrust his thumbs into the crocodile’s eyes. So hard was he pushing that he also broke his wrists with the effort. It must have been a terrifying experience to realise the blood in the water was his own.

SAIMM President 2018/2019 – Alastair Stuart Macfarlane

On the 16th of August 2018 Alastair Macfarlane was inducted as the SAIMM President for 2018/2019. The students and members attending the AGM welcomed him as president with applause. We look forward to the impact that Alastair Macfarlane will make during his year in office.

Towards the future: African Mining Vision, Mining Phakisa and the SAIMM

Recent winds of political change blowing through the African continent have created the hope of a new dawn for the mining industry, and for renewed impetus to support the African Mining Vision.

Conference Review: Copper Cobalt Africa

CopperCobaltAfrica2 31072018

CuCoAfrica Dignitaries: L-R:
Mooya Lumamba (Director of Mines and Minerals, Zambia), Jackson Sikamo (Chairperson and Country Manager at Chibuluma Mines Plc, Zambia), Sehliselo Ndlovu (President: SAIMM), Paul Chanda (Permanent Secretary: Zambia Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development), Sokwani Chilembo (CEO Zambian Chamber of Mines), Darius Muma (Zambian Branch Chair: SAIMM), Kathy Sole (Conference Chair: Copper Cobalt Africa 2018).

Copper Cobalt Africa, hosted by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), took place from 10 to 12 July 2018. The conference was held in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the mighty Victoria Falls. Recent strong rises in the prices of copper and cobalt, coupled with increasing international interest in developments in the African Copperbelt, attracted over 300 delegates, representing 22 countries.

Obituary - Emeritus Professor Dee Bradshaw

Dee Bradshaw
22 Sept 1958 to 7 June 2018

Emeritus Professor Dee Bradshaw passed away on 7th June 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer, just a few months short of her 60th Birthday. Throughout her illness, Dee remained a leading light and inspiration to students, colleagues and professionals across the globe. A major highlight for her in 2018 was the launch of her book “Green Mining: Beyond the Myth” at the Two Ocean’s Aquarium ahead of the Annual Mining Indaba - attended by senior representatives of the Minister of the Presidency, AngloGold Ashanti and the University of Cape Town (UCT) as well as colleagues, students, friends and family. The book culminates a career of thought leadership, a passion for people and minerals in collectively addressing complex, intractable problems in society.

Open Journal System

DOAJThe SAIMM has adopted the Open Journal System (OJS) with the objective of optimizing the management of the paper reviewing process for the Journal.

Paper submissions will no longer be accepted via the SAIMM Journal submission form on the SAIMM website. Only papers that are currently in the system will follow the existing reviewing process.

You can now submit manuscripts and peer reviews online. The OJS assists you with every step of the reviewing process. Authors can also check the status of their papers online and referees will receive automated reminders for their reviews.

Promoting the SAMCODES Way in Kazakhstan

minexSAMCODES Standards Committee (SSC) Chair Matt Mullins attended the Minex Central Asia Forum which took place in Astana, Kazakhstan. On Wednesday 18th April 2018 he delivered a presentation on Global Mineral Resource and Valuation Reporting Standards.

With Kazakhstan being the newest member of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO), Matt discussed the Evolution, Convergence, and Effectiveness of reporting codes both in South Africa and globally. There was particular focus on the current organisation and effectiveness of the SSC.

Saving Metals for our Future Generations - Sehliselo Ndlovu | City Press - Sunday 15th April

Sehliselo Ndlovu is the first black woman president of the SA Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and is associate professor in the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at Wits University, writes Sue Grant-Marshall

Please call me Selo,” says the engaging associate professor, Sehliselo Ndlovu, who has come full circle with the SA Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), for it used to send mining books and magazines to the BSc engineering student in metallurgy at the University of Zimbabwe.

Later on it paid for her air ticket to Imperial College London. There she obtained her PhD in Minerals and Mining Engineering with a Biohydrometallurgy specialisation, in 2003.

Other mining news

Mining Weekly | Africa

14 December 2025

The latest mining world news and project information from Africa. providing updates on the progress of future, new and existing projects. Developments in mining legislation, policies, investments and infrastructure will be highlighted
  • Kazera reports operational progress as it advances towards profitability
    London-listed Kazera Global has reported operational advances across its heavy mineral sands and diamond projects as the company transitions from development into early commercial production, while remaining in a build-up phase financially. Kazera CEO Dennis Edmonds said on December 12 that the financial year ended June 30, 2025, had been “defined by delivery”.
  • Blencowe confirms new high-grade graphite zone at Iyan
    London-listed Blencowe Resources has reported that the first assay returned from one of six deep holes drilled during the Stage 7 programme at the Orom-Cross project has confirmed substantial high-grade graphite mineralisation, with near-continuous graphite identified from close to surface to about 100 m at the newly identified Iyan deposit, in Uganda. Iyan is located immediately beside the Northern Syncline and does not form part of the current Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant resource reported in November, the company explained.
  • Lithium may get much-needed demand boost from battery storage
    Lithium bulls are betting on energy storage systems as the next meaningful pillar of demand for the battery metal, nudging the global market back toward balance after years of oversupply. Giant utility-scale batteries, which absorb and store electricity for controlled release, are an increasingly important consumer of lithium. Though electric vehicles remain by far the biggest user of the metal, many analysts see demand from these storage systems rising at a faster clip than EV growth in 2026. Citigroup, UBS Group and Bernstein even see that expansion helping to tip the global market into a deficit next year.